“Perhaps this malady,” Rav Pam warned, “is one of the causes for the delaying of Mashiach.”
It’s not a matter of being blind to the truth of our faults but rather a matter of focus and perspective. What does one choose to see? Unless one has the ability to correct and rectify evil acts, he should not speak negatively about other Jews but should seek out their positive traits and focus on them.
There are many serious challenges in the Torah world. There is, however, no dearth of merits that we possess. The fact that the Torah world rebuilt itself as it did after the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis is the greatest testament to our resiliency and greatness. It all depends on what we focus on.
We surely need to contemplate and plan for how we and our children will navigate the maze of challenges that confront us as Torah Jews. At the same time, we need to know we are part of a people who are never happy with past achievements and are always striving for greatness.
We are a people of unstoppable resilience and faith. We are a nation that has the courage to be different, and to be accused of being eccentric for our beliefs. But if we aren’t careful we can easily allow the negativity and shameful acts of some members of our community to overshadow all the beauty.
Something to think about before we decide to share an article on social media or push the send button on an e-mail.
